Method and device for grinding tiles



Dec. 31, 1957 M. ENGEL METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GRINDING TILES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 11, 1955 Dec. 31, 1957 M E 2,817,929

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GRINDING TILES Filed July 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 '25817,92Q METHOD ANDDEVICE FOR GRINDING ruins Manfred Engel, Broitzem, uber' Braunschweig', Germany, assignor to Ma'rienberger 'Mosa'ikplattenfabrik A. G., Broitzem, ubercBraunschweig', Germany ApplicationJu'ly 11, 19 55,.Serial.No. 521,316 Claims priority, application-GermanyJulyZO, 1954 12 Claims. (CI. 51-80) The invention relates to a method anda device for grinding to measure the edges of 'wall tiles or the, like, and more particularlyto" a method and/or device for grindingto measure tiles which, are arranged in'stacks and the edges thereof areground'along'the stack.

It is an object of the invention-to provide a'method and/or device of the kind described in which. the

stacked tiles need not bepressed against a stationary" countermember.

It is another object of the invention to secure the automatic adjustmentof the" tiles by their own'weight.

position under their own weight.

Advantageously friction is'reduced by providing grinding rollers having stationary axles and moving the stack of tiles arranged on a slide-carriage, or the like, relatively to the grinding rollers.

Preferably a plurality of slides or carriages are combined by providing joints or articulations between the same so as to form an endless strand which is driven continuously like a conveyor belt, the individual slides or carriages'being charged with the tiles to be ground at one end of the conveying device-whereas the tiles are discharged from the conveying device at the other end thereof after-the tiles have been ground to measure.

Other objects and adva'ntagesof thepresent invention will become apparent from the following detailed de-' scription thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings showing, by way of example, two embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective partial view of a' first embodiment of the present invention, some parts being broken away, and

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view of'a' second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1, a frame including two rails onlyone of which is shown in the drawing, is provided with cro'ssmembers such as 12 connected to the rails 10 by. rivets 14 or the like.

To the crossmembers 12 guide rails 16,16 are secured so as to form parallel supporting members for the sliding pieces or runners 18, 18' moving within the rails 16, 16'. Slides, carriages or plates 20, 20' connected with the sliding pieces 18, 18" can be moved along the rails 16, 16. The plates 20, 20' are connected with eachother by connecting members 22 such as a chain so that the plates 20, 20 form an endless strand supported by the frame 10 which is driven by a motor (not shown) along the rails 16, 16.

The plates or slides 20, 20' carry, respectively, attachment pieces 24, 24 provided with wedge-shaped grooves 26, 26', respectively, adapted to receive two neighboring nited States Patent 'ice .so that the edges or sides 28, 30' thereof are in contact pieces 24,24.

of tiles.

with the wedge-shaped grooves 26, 26of the attachment The tiles 32, 34 are maintained in stacked condition by clamping devices (not shown).

A first grinding roller 36' is arranged with the axle 40 thereof parallel to the edges28' and 38 of the stack 32 of tiles. The axle 40 ofthe first roller 36 is stationary in space and arranged in bearings (not shown) so that the axle 40 is substantially parallelto' the edges 38 of the stacked tiles 32. The diameter of the first roller 36 is chosen so that the first grinding roller 36 is arranged in contact with the edges38'of the stacked pile 32.

Asecond grinding roller 42 is arranged with the axle 46 thereof parallel to the edges 44 of the stack 34 of tiles.

The axle 46 of the second roller 42 is stationary in space and arranged in bearings (not shown) so that the axle 46 is substantially. parallel to the edges 44 of the stack 34 The diameter of the second roller 42 is chosen so that thesecond grinding roller 42 is arranged in contact with the edges 44 of the stacked pile 34.

The operation of this device is as follows:

Theuendless strand formed by the slides or plates 21),

20' connected with each other by the chain 22 is driven by the motor (not shown) so that the attachment pieces 24, 24' and the stacked tiles 32, 34 supported by the wedge-shaped grooves 26, 26 are carried along in the direction of the arrow 48. The grinding rollers 36 and 42 are rotated by motors driving the axles 40, 46, of the grinding rollers 36 and 42 positively for rotation.

Preferably the attachmentpieces 24 provided at one end of the frame 10 are loaded with stacked tiles such as 32, at the other end of the frame 10 the'attachment pieces 24 being relieved from stacked tiles such as 34, after the stacked tiles have been ground to measure by the grinding rollers 36 and 42.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings, a frame including two members 110 and 110" having each a U- shaped cross section, is connected by connecting members such as 112 with squarebar irons suchas 114 forming an angular guide for a plurality of slides such as 116 and 118 which are adapted to hold inpositionstacks of tiles such as 120 and 160. The slides such as 1-16 includetwo end plates 136 and 138 connected by angular guiding pieces 122 arranged between each pair of square bar irons 114. Between the end plates 136, 138 of the slide 116 the tiles such as 120 are held together by a pressing device 124 including a clamping screw 126 screwed into a screw thread in the central boring 127 of 'the end plate 136 and provided with a head piece 128 having a handle 130 for rotating the clamping screw 126 and pressing thereby an intermediate plate 132 guided by guide pins such as 134 in holes of the end plate 136 of the slide 116 so as to exert a pressure on the intermediate plate 132 which is transferred to the stack of tiles 120. At the other end plate 138 of the slide 116 a latch 140 is arranged for displacement, the latch 140- being connected by a .connecting member 142 with a conveyer chain 144 provided between the U-shaped members-110' and MW 'of the frame 110. If it is'desired to couple the end plate 138 of the slide 116 with the conveyor chain 144 the latch 140 is moved downwards by actuatingthe handle 146 thereof so that the connecting member 142 passing through a member 148 connectedto the other end plate 138 of the slide 116 is connected with the conveyor chain 144. By raising the latch 140 the slide 116 may be uncoupled from the conveyor chain 144.

The conveyor chain 144 is driven by a motor (not shown) in direction of the arrow 154 so as to drive the slide 116 in the same direction when the connecting member 142 is in the lower position thereof coupling the end plate 138 with the conveyor chain 144.

A first grinding roller 150 engaging one set of edges of the, stack of tiles 120 has a stationary axle positively driven for rotation by a motor (not shown), whereas a second grinding roller 156 is arranged with the axle 158 thereof so that the second roller 156 is in contact with the other edges of the stack 160 of the tiles. The axles 152 and 158 are supported by stationary bearings (not shown) and positively driven for rotation by motors (not shown).

In operation the conveyor chain 144 is driven by the motor (not shown) in the direction of the arrow 154 so as to take along the stacked piles 120 and 160 coupled by the latch 140 and the connecting member 142 with the conveyor chain 144, the first and second grinding rollers 150 and 156 being rotated by the motors (not shown) positively driving the axles thereof.

As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the grinding rollers 36, 42 and 150, 156 have an axial length surpassing the length of the side faces of the tiles 32, 34 and 120, 160 to be ground.

I have described hereinbefore preferred embodiments of a device for grinding the edges of tiles or the like. However, I wish it to be understood that various modifications of the device described hereinbefore, changes of elements thereof, and substitutions of equivalents may be carried out without departing from the gist and spirit of the present invention, the embodiments described hereinbefore in detail being only examples of my invention.

I claim:

1. A device for grinding tiles to measure, comprising, in combination, a plurality of members each supporting a plurality of tiles stacked in upright position so as to form separate stacks each having sides in diagonal positions with respect of said supporting members, means for moving said supporting members along a substantially rectilinear path so as to move said diagonally positioned sides of said stacked tiles in substantially rectilinear paths, a first grinding roller having a first axle arranged substantially parallel to one of said diagonally positioned sides of said stacked tiles, said first grinding roller being arranged so as to contact one of said diagonally positioned sides of one of said separate stacks of tiles, and a second grinding roller having a second axle arranged substantially parallel to the other of said diagonally positioned sides of said stacked tiles, said second grinding roller being arranged so as to contact the other of said diagonally positioned sides of another of said separate stacks of tiles, said axles being positively driven so as to impart, respectively, rotating movements to said grinding rollers.

2. .A device as claimed in claim 1, an endless strand including articulated members, each of said articulated members supporting one of said tile supporting members, and a frame supporting said endless strand, said frame having two ends, at one of said ends of said frame said tile supporting members supported by said endless strand being loaded with stacked tiles, at the other of said ends of said frame said tile supporting members supported by said endless strand being relieved from said stacked tiles after the same have been ground to measure.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, said tile supporting members being designed as attachment pieces supported, respectively, by said articulated members, said attachment pieces having wedge-shaped recesses for receiving said sides of said tiles in diagonal positions.

4. A device for grinding tiles to measure, comprising, in combination a frame, a plurality of members supported by said frame, each of said members supporting a plurality of tiles stacked in upright position so as to form separate stacks each having sets of sides in diagonal positions with respect to said supporting members, guiding means connected with said tile supporting members, a conveyor chain arranged below said guiding means, said chain being adapted to drive said supporting members, a first grinding roller having a first axle, said first grinding roller being arranged with respect to said supporting members so as to contact one set of said diagonally positioned sides of one of said stacks of said tiles stacked on one of said supporting members, and a second grinding roller having a second axle, said second grinding roller being arranged with respect to a second one of said tile supporting members so as to contact another set of said diagonally positioned sides of another of said stacks of said tiles.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, said supporting member being designed as a slide.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, and clamping means acting on said stacks of said stacked tiles, said clamping means being supported by said slide.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, and manually operable coupling device provided, respectively, on each of said slides, said coupling devices being adapted to couple said slides with said conveyor chain and to efiect the connection with an element thereof.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, said coupling devices being designed, respectively, as latches displaceably supported on one of the end faces of said slides supporting said stacked tiles.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, said latches being adapted to engage said conveyor chain.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, and handles connected, respectively, to each of said latches.

11. A device for grinding tiles to measure, comprising, in combination, means for moving a first batch of superposed tiles along a substantially rectilinear path, means for moving a second batch of superposed tiles along the rectilinear path, means for connecting said moving means with each other, said first and second batches of superposed tiles having each adjoining straight edges to be ground, first grinding means having a first axle arranged substantially at right angles to said rectilinear path of moving and parallel to one set of said adjoining straight edges of said tiles, and second grinding means having a second axle arranged substantially at right angles to said rectilinear path of moving and parallel to the other of said adjoining straight edges of said tiles, said first and second grinding means being arranged at a distance from one another corresponding substantially to the length of said connecting means.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, said first and second grinding means being designed as grinding rollers arranged parallel, respectively, to said adjoining straight edges to be ground, said grinding rollers having an axial length surpassing the length of the side faces of the tiles to be ground.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 19,702 Killiam Mar. 23, 1858 369,074 Pearce et al Aug. 30, 1887 542,159 Grey July 2, 1895 961,560 Trautvetter June 14, 1910 1,863,303 Goad June 14, 1932 1,933,640 Schafer Nov. 7, 1933 2,684,088 Miller July 20, 1954 

